Son of Hong Kong ex-publisher Jimmy Lai says 77-year-old could die in jail and calls for his release

WASHINGTON (AP) - The son of prominent Hong Kong former publisher Jimmy Lai, who is facing possible life imprisonment in the Chinese city, called Tuesday for his father's release in a high-profile national security case.

Sebastien Lai, in a meeting with reporters in Washington, said the prison conditions where his 77-year-old diabetic father is being held in solitary confinement are "inhumane for anybody, any age."

"There is a real fear that he might pass away at any time,” said the son, who is leading an international campaign to free his father. "This year will be the fifth year for him to be in prison."

The case has drawn widespread international condemnation and is seen as evidence of the erosion of press freedom and judicial independence in Hong Kong.

The elder Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper known for its anti-Beijing stance, is standing trial on charges of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and of conspiring with others to issue seditious publications. The collusion charge carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Last year, Lai pleaded not guilty to all charges. On March 6, he presented his final testimony and lawyers from both sides are expected to return to court to deliver their closing statements in August. He has been convicted in four separate cases involving fraud and unauthorized assemblies and has been given sentences totaling more than seven years, according to Amnesty International.

Lai, an outspoken critic of Beijing, was arrested in 2020 in a crackdown following anti-government protests in Hong Kong a year earlier. The Beijing and Hong Kong governments say a strict national security law helped restore stability to Hong Kong after the demonstrations.

Lai has spent more than 1,500 days in solitary confinement in a cell without natural light. Hong Kong’s government said in a statement last year that the separation of Lai from other inmates "has been made at his own request" and was approved by prison authorities.

"This is completely insane," the younger Lai said. "It is disgusting. He also asked for release."

The U.S. and U.K. governments and independent U.N. human rights experts have called for his release. In the U.S., Lai has bipartisan support on Capitol Hill and he could have President Donald Trump on his side.

During his campaign, Trump told Hugh Hewitt on a podcast that he would secure Lai’s release. "One-hundred percent. I'll get him out," Trump said.

Responding to Trump’s comments, Hong Kong leader John Lee said the U.S. should not interfere in Hong Kong's internal affairs.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters last November that Lai is a major figure in the rise of anti-China sentiments in Hong Kong and a "pawn of anti-China forces."

The younger Lai and the former publisher’s international legal team are in Washington to meet with lawmakers and senior officials close to Trump.

"President Trump was the first U.S. president that mentioned my father by name," the son said. "It is looking more hopeful now."